On 8 August 2018, the ASEAN 51st Anniversary Symposium, co-hosted by ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and ASEAN Committee in Tokyo (ACT), was held in Tokyo, Japan. H.E. Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), H.E. Dr. Aladdin D. Rillo, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, H. E. Mr. Masataka Fujita, Secretary General of ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), H.E. Mr. Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) attended the meeting. Diplomatic envoys from ASEAN Embassies in Japan, representatives of local government agencies, business and media circles also participated in this event.
H.E. Dr. Aladdin D. Rillo, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Mr. Viroth Sundara, Ambassador of Lao PDR to Japan, H.E. Mr. Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of AKC, H.E. Mr. Masataka Fujita, Secretary General of AJC, Professor Kazushi Shimizu from Kyushu University, Mr. Kunihiko Shinoda, Deputy Director-General of Trade Policy Bureau of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Mr. Daisuke Shintani, Senior Economist of Asia, China & Oceania Strategic Studies Institute, delivered remarks respectively at the symposium. The speakers spoke highly of the development of ASEAN, particularly the remarkable achievements in the building of the ASEAN Economic Community, and analysed the opportunities and challenges for ASEAN’s future economic development. It was agreed that, ASEAN and the countries in the region should further strengthen cooperation, vigorously promote trade and the facilitation of investment, jointly work against trade protectionism, maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system, and actively promote the negotiation on the "regional comprehensive economic partnership” (RCEP) while maximizing the current free trade agreements. The participants also agreed to strengthen infrastructure development and upgrade regional connectivity. It was expected that AJC, AKC and ACC continue to give full play to their unique advantages, expand exchanges and cooperation, and make greater contribution to the development and prosperity of the region.
In his remarks, ACC Secretary-General Chen Dehai congratulated ASEAN on its extraordinary achievements in the past 51 years and appreciated ASEAN's important role in promoting regional integration and maintaining regional peace and stability. He gave a brief overview of the exchanges and cooperation among ACC, AJC and AKC, and stated that as this year marks the 15thanniversary of ASEAN-China strategic partnership and ASEAN-China Year of Innovation, ACC is willing to continue to maintain close contacts with all sides to jointly promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in the region, so as to make more achievements for the benefit of the people.
During his visit to Tokyo, Secretary-General Chen Dehai also had a meeting with Ms. Guo Yan, Charge d'Affaires and Minister of the Chinese Embassy in Japan.